Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams and Patrick Surtain II of the Denver Broncos will have the rare opportunity on Sunday Night Football this week: They’ll put more star power in the cornerback matchup than in the game’s quarterback matchup.
Of course, cornerbacks from different teams aren’t on the field at the same time, just like opposing quarterbacks aren’t. And it’s not like Matthew Stafford and Bo Nix are lacking for attention, popularity and a spot in the public consciousness.
But both the
Rams and Broncos will have one of the best cornerbacks in the sport on the field for their respective defenses on Sunday, which should be a treat for fans who appreciate defensive excellence.
McDuffie has been excellent since breaking into the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, immediately claiming a starting role for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense as a rookie and helping lead that franchise to a Super Bowl title. He earned All-Pro honors each of the next two seasons and was a key part of another Super Bowl win in 2023, too. It was clear from the jump that this was a player with a rare combination of coverage skills, physicality and legitimate boundary to slot versatility.
His tremendous play has continued into his first season with the Rams. Through two games, McDuffie has been targeted nine times and only allowed two receptions while breaking up an NFL-best six passes.
Then there’s Surtain, a preordained superstar since his well-known last name popped up in the high school/college football recruiting world. His dad was a stellar cornerback in his own right, spending 11 years in the NFL with the Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, twice earning All-Pro honors and three times receiving a Pro Bowl nod.
The younger Surtain has taken the family pedigree to another level. He’s just the third cornerback in the last three decades to win AP Defensive Player of the Year, he’s already been an All-Pro three times (twice on the first team) and he’s firmly established himself as one of the best defensive players in the sport regardless of position.
Both of these cornerbacks are stars. They’re not unstoppable, though, and while it may be extremely difficult to challenge them, it should make for some fun game plans from Sean McVay/Nathan Scheelhaase and Sean Payton/Davis Webb to try to trip them up even a time or two in this matchup.
A quick, personal note on how exciting it is to have these two young studs both in action in tonight’s high-profile matchup: While driving to a college football broadcast (my real-world job) on Saturday, I was talking to my broadcast partner about NFL cornerback play. He was a multi-time Division II All-American at cornerback, graduated with an NCAA record for pass breakups in a career and had a brief stint in an NFL training camp. The guy knows the position.
The first two guys he said he loves to watch at cornerback today? Trent McDuffie and Patrick Surtain II.
He’s going to have fun watching those two do their thing on Sunday night. I have a feeling that will be a treat for everyone watching.
